Quinnipiac University ranked 26th among four-year schools nationally and tops in Connecticut in the Military Times media group’s Best for Vets: Colleges 2016 rankings released on Nov. 9.
The rankings factor in the results of Military Times’ annual survey, the most comprehensive school-by-school assessment of veteran and military student services and rates of academic achievement.
It was Quinnipiac’s first time completing the survey.
“It was very comprehensive,” said Jason Burke, director of veteran and military affairs at the University. “The focus was on the current student veteran population, the students’ areas of study, retention and graduation rates, administrative functions, and specific benefits and partnerships between Quinnipiac and the Department of Veterans Affairs and Department of Defense.”
Quinnipiac is dedicated to providing the tools, resources and mentorship needed to help veterans succeed. The University has partnered with both the Department of Defense and the Veterans Administration to provide veterans with a comprehensive set of benefits that fit with their military experience.
Since 2009, Quinnipiac has participated in the “Yellow Ribbon Program,” a provision of the Post-9/11 Veterans Educational Assistance Act of 2008 that provides the cost of tuition and fees to qualified veterans and their children.
In addition, Quinnipiac recently announced that Dr. Robert Krug, president and CEO/medical director of Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Hospital in Hartford, has been named the William and Barbara Weldon chair and director of the Frank H. Netter MD School of Medicine’s new Institute for Rehabilitation Medicine and Center for U.S. Veterans Rehabilitation at Quinnipiac.
The new Center for U.S. Veterans Rehabilitation will provide long-term, sustainable approaches to address the health care needs of veterans. By drawing upon the rich resources of Quinnipiac, Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Hospital, Connecticut’s only free-standing acute rehabilitation hospital, and other clinical partners, the institute is poised to become a nationally-recognized center addressing the needs of veterans. Mount Sinai Rehabilitation Hospital will be a principal affiliate for the new institute at Quinnipiac.
“Our student veterans should be very proud of how hard they work at their mission at Quinnipiac,” Burke added. “For many of our student veterans, they not only have to worry about school work, but balancing family and work commitments as well. This recognition also shows that Quinnipiac has embraced its cadre of veterans. A huge University team effort from the top down enables our student veterans to concentrate on being a student with minimal time worrying about the administrative burdens. I couldn’t be prouder of their camaraderie, diligence and effort.”
The Military Times rankings evaluate the many factors that help make colleges and universities a good fit for service members, military veterans and their families. More than 600 colleges took part in this year’s survey.
“It’s been amazing to witness how colleges all across higher education have embraced service members and their families,” said Amanda Miller, editor of the “Military Times” Best for Vets rankings and special editions. “Over the past six years of our surveys, we’ve seen so many schools first begin to foster – through new policies, services and dedicated facilities – and then nurture these wonderful communities.”
Military Times’ annual Best for Vets: Colleges survey asks colleges and universities to meticulously document a tremendous array of services, special rules, accommodations and financial incentives offered to students with military ties; and to describe many aspects of veteran culture on a campus. Military Times also factors in data from the Veterans Affairs and Defense Departments, as well as three Education Department sources: the IPEDS Data Center, College Scorecard data and the Cohort Default Rate Database.
“We award the Best for Vets designation to the very best – the colleges that really are setting the example,” Miller said.
The rankings are published in full in the issues of Army Times, Navy Times, Air Force Times and Marine Corps Times on newsstands the week of Nov. 9; and online at MilitaryTimes.com, as well as ArmyTimes.com, NavyTimes.com, AirForceTimes.com and MarineCorpsTimes.com.
Military Times’ series of Best for Vets rankings includes: Colleges, Career & Technical Colleges, Business Schools, Franchises, Employers, Law Enforcement and Places to Live.